


Hedonists

by starstruck1986



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-23
Updated: 2013-03-23
Packaged: 2017-12-06 05:41:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/732063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starstruck1986/pseuds/starstruck1986
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Warnings: Incest, infidelity, oral, humour.<br/>Summary: An escape from a Halloween Ball leads to something far more pleasurable...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hedonists

**Hedonists**

  
"What exactly are you?" Ron laughed, looking Charlie up and down.  
"A fireman." Charlie grinned and looked away as he smoked some more of his cigarette.  
"Oh, those people that put out fires for Muggles and that Auntie Muriel hexed that time when they thought her house was going up in flames?"  
"The very same."

Ron snorted and looked at the helmet beneath Charlie's arm. He took it and put it on his own head.

"You look like a prat," Charlie informed him immediately.  
"Thanks. My self-esteem is so high thanks to you."

Pulling it off his head and sending his hair into disarray, Ron shoved the helmet back at Charlie.

"At least my costume is better than yours. Was there nothing else left?"  
"Knob off, I like this."  
"Wearing a dress?" Charlie asked.  
"It's not a dress, it's a toga!"  
"Dress," Charlie argued out of the side of his mouth.  
"Whatever," Ron muttered.

He folded his arms over his chest. Truth be told, he was quite cold, and he wished he'd picked a warmer costume, though there hadn't been much choice. Work had been long and by the time he'd made it to the Muggle fancy dress shop, nearly all of the costumes had gone. When taken into account his height and slim build, there was even less choice for him. As it was, the toga was in danger of revealing far too much should it ride up. The sandals were far too open and he felt naked. The fake wreath of greenery on his head was giving him a headache.

He wanted to go home.

"You know the only thing I care about, anyway," Charlie went on, flicking his cigarette away and casually leaning his elbows on the wall in front of them.  
"And what's that?"  
"Whether you've got anything on underneath it."

Ron said nothing and stared out into the dark expanse of the Hogwarts grounds. The glow of the floating pumpkins didn't reach far and the castle greens looked every bit as threatening in their darkness as they had when he was a teenager.

"I love the Halloween Ball," Charlie said. He sucked in a large breath and revelled in exhaling it. "There's just something so special about tonight..."  
"Free beer?" Ron suggested.  
"That's just a bonus."

Ron swallowed and tried not to look as Charlie edged closer to him. When a meaty paw grasped one of his bum cheeks, he fought to keep quiet.

"Mm, nice."  
"Charlie, we're in public."  
"And yet completely alone."  
"There's always someone watching at Hogwarts," Ron muttered.

Charlie ignored him and huddled into his back. The thick fabric of his costume was harsh against the soft cotton of Ron's own. Arms wrapped around his front and held him tightly. Charlie's chin came to rest on his shoulder.

"Want to get out of here?" he asked, leaning in to press a warm kiss to Ron's neck.  
"We can't, we can't leave the others."  
"They're all big boys and girls," Charlie assured him. "I think they'll survive without us for just one night..."

Another enticing kiss was laid on his neck and Ron's throat went dry.

"Charlie, we said that last time would be the last time."  
"Well I'm a dirty liar and a slut and you know it."  
"I do."  
"So why are you surprised?"

Ron shivered as a breeze gathered around then and shot right up his skirt.

 _Toga._

"Come on, let's get you home and in the warm before you catch your death out here."  
"Don't think I don't know what you really want," Ron managed to laugh. "Massive ulterior motive."  
"Damn my transparency," Charlie muttered into his ear, which he then kissed.

Ron allowed himself to enjoy the warm smooches for a few moments, before he pushed backwards with his bum and dislodged Charlie from his position. He started to walk up the castle steps, listening for the sounds of Charlie following him, but when none came he couldn't help but look over his shoulder.

Charlie was standing below him, looking up with an earnest, wanting expression. His hair clashed terribly with the yellow of his costume but Ron couldn't really deny that he looked good. When he added a grin into the mix, the picture was complete.

"Alright, maybe you don't look so stupid," Ron admitted.  
"With an arse and a face like mine? Never!" Charlie laughed, and jogged up the steps to meet him. "Come on, though, it might look good but it's bloody hot in there in this, so let's go home and get out of it and... I don't know... maybe take advantage of my really, really big bath?"  
"Charlie..." Ron faltered, another shiver rattling through his body. It felt far too cold for only the end of October. "I don't think it's a good idea."  
"Well, neither was that toga, but you still did it."

***

It seemed to have taken them forever to escape the crowds and happy faces and offers of more drinks. Ron was shattered. Even Harry seemed reluctant to let him go and the rest of their family were equally as clingy. But eventually he had managed to throw them off, even if he did feel guilty about leaving George to the clutches of the masses. He only hoped that George would find the ability to escape without too much bother.

Feet aching as he eased them out of the evil sandals which completed his costume, Ron hissed as he stepped onto the carpet, finding the floor too hard for comfort for his bones. He tripped over his own toes as he made for the bed, and landed face-first in the same with a bounce. Air flew from his lungs and he closed his eyes, not sure if he had the energy to breathe. The year had been hard and he wasn't surprised at his bone-tiredness, he just knew that he had to pull himself together before Charlie realised just how low his energy reserves actually were.

The bed covers into which his face was pressed smelt heavily of his brother. Ron inhaled and allowed the cinnamon scent to curl into his lungs, because it was Charlie, and Charlie was everything which made him calm and contented.

"So you really didn't wear anything under the dress, huh?" Charlie asked from the doorway.  
"Nope," Ron muffled. "Couldn't find any clean pants, so had a shower and put the costume on. I'll clean it before it goes back."

He moaned loudly as Charlie captured one of his feet and bent his leg at the knee so it could be massaged whilst Ron lay face down on the bed. As talented thumbs worked into the sole, Ron clenched his fingers into Charlie's duvet and held on, trying to fight the pressure building at his groin which always came from a foot massage. Charlie knew all too well the power that massage would hold over him and apparently fancied exercising it that evening.

Ron thought it was cruel to put him through such torture on Halloween night, when all magical kind felt so very alive, their emotions close to the surface and their magic crackling, just waiting for the chance to explode out of them.

"Ready to come yet?" Charlie asked.  
"Uh-huh," Ron grunted.  
"Well, maybe a bit later, sweetheart." Charlie dropped his foot and smacked him lightly on the bum.

Ron heard him moving around the bedroom and didn't bother to lift his head.

"When were you going to tell me that you've been working so hard lately that you've stopped eating?"

Stomach turning, Ron remained where he was, staring into the fabric.

"And that you've barely been sleeping?"  
"Who told you that?" Ron asked thickly.  
"You know damn well who told me, considering that you only see one person day in, day out at work..."  
"Fucking Harry!" Ron groaned, rolling over to face the ceiling, blinking at the light assaulting his eyeballs. "I'll kill him."  
"No you won't, he told me because he was worried, but said that every time he tried to raise it with you, you walked out of the room, or went silent, or changed the subject, or started cleaning your desk or the office!"  
"I've never cleaned," Ron muttered.

The bed bounced as Charlie climbed onto it and he appeared in Ron's vision with a knowing expression.

"We both know you like a pair of rubber gloves on you." Charlie leant down and gave him a kiss. "You need to look after yourself."  
"I'm trying." Ron shrugged.

He was, but work was busy, and he was still helping George when he was needed, and there seemed a million and one other things which came between him and his bed, or a plate of food, or even a drink on most days.

"Not hard enough," Charlie said, ruefully. "When you were a toddler you'd be firmly planted at the kitchen table waiting for your dinner, banging your knife and fork on the wood, and nothing kept you from being there. You love food, you love sleeping, so what the fuck is wrong?"

All Ron could give him was a shrug, because he didn't know how to answer otherwise.

He was spared from the awkwardness by the sound of an arrival in Charlie's sitting room. Charlie leapt off him and hurried away, leaving Ron sprawled in place on the bed.

"Oh, it's you. I've been expecting you, Mr Bond."

Puzzled, Ron put his head up and looked at the doorway, where he saw Charlie with his arms wrapped around the neck of a tall, suited and booted man with long red hair, tied at the nape of his neck. Bill's costume wasn't exactly hard, but it suited him, all lean and trim and professional looking. He'd spent the evening wielding a fake Muggle gun which spouted a little flag when he pulled the trigger; the flag said a satirical 'bang' on it.

"Mm," Bill murmured, kissing Charlie with an open mouth and strong, working jaw.

Ron watched with warmth spreading through his belly as Charlie leant into the door frame. He reached up and put his hands on Bill's shoulders, pushing him away.

"Don't distract me, I was giving Ron a bollocking."  
"Why?" Bill asked, slipping into the room and throwing himself into a chair before proceeding to remove his boots. "What's he done?"  
"Been a bad boy and not been looking after himself."

Ron blushed as he felt himself under Bill's scrutiny; azure blue eyes raked over his form on the bed and Bill's lips drew into a tight line, somewhat like their mother's would have done.

"Skinny," he commented, peeling off one sock and lobbing it at Charlie's head. He pulled the other off and chucked it at Ron. "Circles beneath his eyes. Working too much, needs a holiday. Am I right?"  
"You're a genius," Ron said sarcastically, and used his hands hooked over the edge of the mattress to pull himself to sitting. "Congratulations. Now, can both of you kindly fuck off and leave me to run my own life?"  
"Not when you're messing it up," Charlie chirped from by the wardrobe, where he was hanging up his fireman's costume.  
"Why are you putting that in there?" Ron frowned. "Hasn't it got to go back to the shop?"  
"No, it's mine," Charlie said airily. "Goes down well with a few of my... ah... acquaintances, shall we say?"  
"Whore." Ron shook his head helplessly.  
"You're just jealous because you don't get any outside of this bedroom," Charlie teased.

Ron wanted to throw back a careless retort, but the truth was that Charlie was right, and his accuracy caused an ache to build in Ron's chest.

"Leave off," Bill commented. "Ron's just got more respect for his body than to give it to anyone who bats their eyelashes at him."  
"Thanks, Bill." Ron managed a grin at the solidarity.

He watched as his oldest brother approached with a tired sway to his hips, which were missing their trousers. Bill stood dressed in his boxers and the undone shirt of his costume and his hair was loose over his shoulders. Looking down at his feet, Ron saw he was wearing mismatched socks, one of which had a snitch pattern on.

"Classy." Ron snorted, and started to laugh as Bill jumped on top of him, pushing him down onto his back again and tickling his ribs.  
"Little shit, I was sticking up for you a second ago, and then you turn on me... there's nothing wrong with my socks."  
"Other than their stench," Charlie called from the other side of the room.  
"What is it with you lot tonight? Little brothers should behave!"  
"None of us are very little any more," Ron pointed out.  
"And some of us are much stronger than you," Charlie mused.  
"And better looking," Ron continued.  
"And better smelling, come to that."  
"Alright, alright!" Bill cried. "Leave off. A man could really feel unloved left with just you two, you know!"

They all fell apart laughing and Charlie clambered onto the bed as well, leaving very little room to manoeuvre on the double mattress.

"You need a bigger bed."  
"You need to shrink," Charlie shot back snidely.  
"Anyone would think you didn't want us here." Ron sighed. "Want me to go home?"  
"If you go anywhere, I'll have to sit on you."  
"Can I not have a wee and wash my face and get out of this bloody glorified sheet?"  
"Nope."  
"I'll wet your bed then."

Charlie was silent for a while and then said, "Wouldn't be the first time someone's wet this bed, it's fine."  
"Oh, God, Charlie, that's disgusting. I hope you've fucking washed it!"

That set them all off laughing again and Ron found his stomach hurting as the mirth rocked through it. It took him a good while to realise that he was hungry.

"Have you got any food?" he asked, reaching up to massage his belly.  
"Did you not get your fill of party food?" Bill laughed. "Normally can't keep you off the sausage rolls."  
"I had some," Ron promised. "Just want something more now..."  
"Well I haven't got much in, you know my shopping night is on the twelfth of never," Charlie sounded apologetic. "So if you want something we'll have to get a take away in."  
"Sounds good to me, and I'll treat my little brothers, as I'm feeling all nice like that." Bill clambered from the bed again to search for his wallet.  
"Glad you mentioned it first, I'm starving," Charlie moaned, and also got up, leaving Ron on the bed.

He watched them moving around one another, perfectly in sync and at ease with one another. Bill said something that Ron couldn't hear, but he saw Charlie's face crease with laughter and then the sound reached him -rich and beautiful. As usual, he was struck with the absurdity of his presence, that he should be there between them, and that any of them should be there at all.

They were so hedonistic that they would find pleasure with each other instead of going to others -a wife, a series of partners, both male and female, and-- Ron swallowed. Other than Bill and Charlie, he had nobody willing to take him and touch him, kiss him and hold him during the night.

"Ron?" Charlie's voice cut through his thoughts. "You suggested it, so you get to choose what we're eating? What'll it be?"  
"Pizza," Ron said, hearing the far away edge to his tone. "And chips."  
"Why, aren't we just so wild for Halloween Night this year?" Bill commented dryly. "Gentlemen, I think we've finally grown old."

***

Stuffed with pizza, Ron stretched out and chucked his empty box on the floor. He felt better in his stomach but not in his head, but tiredness was creeping in and he just felt like crawling across the floor and curling up in front of the fire to sleep. Bill and Charlie were still eating, however, and he watched them both for a while, noticing the similar movements of their jaws and mouths as they made their way through their late night snacks.

"This was an amazing idea,"  
"Bloody great," Bill agreed, sucking his fingers in a way which Ron found far too erotic for nearly midnight. "Now just to have a good shag, fall asleep naked and then wake up in the morning with a pleasant hangover."  
"Can you have a pleasant hangover?" Charlie laughed and then threw down his last pizza crust. "I'm beaten."

He threw the box on top of Ron's and brushed off his hands. He had a quick swig of ale and then struggled to his feet.

"I'm going for a wee, and then when I come back you two had better be naked in my bed."  
"Shan't," Bill called lazily after him, but was already out of the armchair in which he had been slouched.

He yanked on the hand Ron lazily presented to him and pulled him from the sofa to wobble on tired feet.

"Come on, beautiful," Bill laughed, catching him around the waist and hoisting him up into his arms.  
"Have you gone mental?" Ron asked weakly, beginning to laugh again as Bill ran into the bedroom with him. "You really do think that I'm still a kid, don't you?"  
"If my head does, my muscles know not!" Bill groaned, and dumped Ron on the bed with an ungraceful bounce. "Let's get this sheet off you."  
"No, I can do it!" Ron protested, laughing all the more as his brother seized the hem of the toga and pulled, causing the knots at his shoulders to rub against his skin but which eventually came loose under the pressure.

Soon he was completely naked on Charlie's bed, his body stretched out.

"Jesus!" Bill exclaimed. "I can see all your ribs!"  
"You could always see my ribs," Ron dismissed. "Be careful with that, I've got to take it back to the shop."

Bill ignored him and chucked it on the floor before climbing over him to kneel on all fours on the mattress. His hair swung forward over his shoulders and Ron looked at him with a smile, finding his brother handsome even with the scarred flesh of his face. They kissed, each tasting of their respective pizza, and then Bill ducked his head further to kiss down Ron's chest. He mouthed harder when he got to his belly, dipping his tongue into Ron's navel and making him squirm. He slowed down, nosing through the coarse curls at Ron's groin, inhaling from their scent and then, finally, he laid a kiss to what had grown into a straining erection.

"Hey, I said get naked, not start without me!" Charlie cried in dismay.

Both of them looked to see him standing in the doorway, completely naked, his cock impressive even when dormant.

"Bloody hell," he huffed, stomping towards them. He waved his hand and left only a few candles burning. The room dimmed and bathed them all in a flattering glow. "Been waiting for this all week," Charlie grinned, flopping down on the bed and turning on his side to flutter his fingers in Ron's chest hair. "My night of fun with the two prettiest blokes from Devon's finest village."  
"In Northumberland." Bill laughed.  
"Look, if you don't like my house, then cock off!" Charlie cried. "I know it's in the middle of nowhere but it's near the reserve and I like it here!"  
"I like your house too," Ron offered in support.  
"Because you can come here when you want to hide from mum?" Bill sniggered. "And when you want to hide from everyone else too."

 

Ron said nothing, but felt his cheeks colour. He looked away from both of them and stared intently at the wall.

"Sorry, that was out of order," Bill apologised, and used his fingers to turn Ron's head back to them. "I didn't mean to offend you."  
"You were right." Ron shrugged. "I hide here in Charlie's house because it's nicer than my flat, and he's the only person who I can bear when I'm even sick of Harry."  
"You seem a sad bear tonight." Charlie leant forward and pressed a kiss into Ron's shoulder. "I think there's something you're not telling us."  
"He's Ron, of course there's something he's not telling us," Bill reminded him gently. "Always secretive."  
"But its different now we're older... he's not holding onto secrets in the hope it'll make him better than the rest of us, or more intelligent. Now he's just hiding the things that hurt him, and that's not good for him."  
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Ron objected. "I'm bloody fine. Now get on with shagging me before I fall asleep. I'm sure it'll be some kind of dent on Charlie's conquest chart if you don't."

As if his brothers heard the steel in his tone, they both sprang into action. Bill ducked down again and resumed his task licking and kissing, and Charlie huddled closer to capture his lips in a kiss. Their noses clashed and Charlie moaned into his mouth.

"You beautiful boy," Charlie whispered to him. "God, you're beautiful, Ron."  
"Shut up," Ron responded. "Just leave it out. I don't care."

He cried out and bucked his hips as Bill sucked him straight to the root of his cock. He allowed his hips to rock back and forth, in and out of his brother's mouth.

"He's got to be good at something," Charlie whispered into his ear. "Godric knows he's not good for anything else but that."  
"No..." Ron panted in disagreement. "Makes... good... tea."

Charlie burst out laughing, his breath hot and damp over Ron's face. Bill pulled up and joined in before burying his face in Ron's pubes as he chortled.

"Only you could bring up a cup of tea in the middle of a blow job," Charlie said, shaking his head. "You're so... you."  
"Oh, good, I'm glad I'm not someone else." Ron rolled his eyes and exhaled. "You daft buggers."

His brothers' laughs petered out after a while and they all lay there, breathing in and out and wondering whether they would make it to a completion or if they would just fall asleep.

Yawning, Ron thought sleep was far more likely. Charlie tickled his chest hair and Bill nuzzled against his pubic hair. The weight of Bill's head on his tired bones was both stifling and comforting. Charlie cuddled into his side and provided an insane amount of warmth.

"Do you remember when we were little?" Bill asked suddenly, his body shifting so that he could lie on Ron's other side. He hooked his leg over Ron's hip and summoned a blanket from inside the wardrobe to drape over the three of them. "And Halloween was about stuffing ourselves so much we could barely walk, and one year Percy made himself sick?"  
"Because Fred and George and spiked his pumpkin juice," Charlie said fairly. "And Ron would be too young to remember that properly."  
"I remember the sound," Ron remembered. "And wanting to help and asking mum if I could go and give Percy my bear to make him feel better."  
"Awh, see, you didn't always hate one another. When you were both young you were quite sweet on each other!"  
"And then it all went wrong and then you never stopped bellowing." Bill made a face and laughed.  
"Well... if he hadn't been such a prick all the time and been so horrible when I did anything wrong..."  
"Percy expects of everyone else around him what he expects of himself -the best." Charlie shrugged. "He just has high standards, is all. And lots of people have those."  
"But you're not one of them," Bill niggled.

Charlie huffed and pretended to be offended; Ron lay in the middle of them and waited for the laughter to start up again.

"I don't want to be a whore," Charlie said suddenly, his voice far too melancholy for his usual sunny state. "I don't want to have someone different in the bed every night."  
"Then don't," Bill said. "It's easy to say no or not ask someone back. Ron does it every night."  
"Ouch." Ron scowled at the barb.  
"Said lovingly," Bill assured him. "But seriously, Charlie, you really do make your own bed sometimes."  
"And what about you, Mr Wife and Kids?" Charlie said hotly. "Are you really such a perfect specimen of humanity when you're cheating on your bloody wife with your brothers?"

"Enough!" Ron cried. "Too far, Charlie. Both of you. Shut up and let's go to sleep, I'm shattered."  
"And you!" Charlie went on. "Running yourself into the ground and hoping that none of us see or care enough to mention it too you. Well you're fucking wrong, we all see it, and we all see that you're falling but none of us know what to do to help you because you won't fucking let us!"

His words rang in the room and Ron suddenly felt sick. His pizza and chips were at the back of his throat, ready to spew out. He knew he would never make it to the bathroom in time, so he swallowed the bitter down, forcing it back to his stomach where it belonged.

It was only then that he noticed the soft stroking in his hair.

"We just care about one another too much," Bill whispered to him. "That's why we shout at one another like this. We want the other safe and warm and we want to keep them that way, but because of... well, the circumstances, we can't. And we take that out on one another."  
"It hasn't always been this way." Ron hated the weakness in his tone –as if his lower lip might start to wobble at any moment.  
"We get older and we want to settle down." Charlie sighed against his cheek. "And we're arguing more because we're realising that we can't settle down with one another, because its easy with you two... I know you don't judge me or care if I fart in the middle of the night. Ron, you snore, but we still love you. Bill hogs the bed and yet he's still here. It's... it's just so easy to love you."  
"So what you're saying is..." Ron couldn't help but smile. "We're just really lazy and don't want to make the effort for other people?"  
"Bang on," Charlie agreed.

They fell to silence and Ron closed his eyes. He couldn't even really remember how their little threesome had started. He had been drunk that night and so, so lonely. His brothers' welcoming arms had been such solace to him that the thought of not returning for more had been too horrific to contemplate. He had run back to them and they had welcomed him, and they had gone from there.

"How old was I when this first started?" he asked aloud, suddenly desperate to know.  
"Around nineteen, I think? The year after the war."  
"Just before your twentieth, I think," Bill said. "Why?"  
"Just... just wondered. Wow. Ten years, huh? You two are my longest relationship."  
"Hell, we're Charlie's longest relationship, and that's a lot sadder for him," Bill jibed.

Charlie stuck two fingers up at him before snuggling into Ron's shoulder again.

"Let's go to sleep," Ron murmured finally. "So tired."  
"You would be, you've not slept for weeks according to Harry, who has to feed you coffee to wake you up in the office of a morning."  
"I'll kill him," Ron repeated, right before he dropped off into the land of nod.

***

The Northumberland morning was cold to his skin. Ron stood at the back door to Charlie's house as he waited for the kettle to boil. The sun wasn't yet up and his brothers were still fast asleep in the bedroom, but he had been awake for what felt like hours. He was wrapped in Charlie's dressing gown, smoking a cigarette from the pack he had found tucked in the garment's pocket. There had been a lighter in the other.

 _That's our Charlie. Always prepared._

The kettle began to scream behind him and Ron stepped backwards to drag it from the hob. He left it on its stand; he had put the kettle on because that was what he did when he first woke up, whether he wanted a cup of tea or not. He followed his routine to try and take a step towards feeling normal for the day ahead, even though he knew it was unlikely he would achieve normality on that day, of all days. He resumed his position at the back door, looking at the sea in the darkness. His brothers were the luckiest two men in the world, he thought; they both owned property which backed onto a beach and their morning views were both stunning. Ron knew that he wanted that but had no energy to make the moves to get it for himself. He didn't know where to start, if he even had enough money in the bank. Somewhere along the line he had stopped paying attention to his wages, letting them go into the bank and out again for rent and bills, but he rarely spent anything else on himself.

It was something that he should probably look into, he thought, as he ground out the end of the cigarette on the bricks of Charlie's house and cast it into the ashtray on the small table sitting on the back patio.

"Ron, have you gone insane? Come back to bed." Bill's voice was thick with sleep.  
"Shouldn't you be getting back?" Ron asked without looking over his shoulder. "To Fleur?"  
"No, she's in France with her Mum and Dad, remember?"  
"Do you think she knows, Bill?" Ron asked quietly. "What you do?"  
"I have no idea. I hope not. If she does and she keeps quiet... she's one hell of a faithful wife who is more than I deserve, considering that I cheat on her."  
"Could you stop?" Ron asked.  
"I'm thinking about it. We were talking last night... we're all getting older and I'm meant to have settled down. I love Charlie with all my heart and I always have, and since you joined in with this, I've loved you every bit as absolutely as I've loved Charlie. But it is definitely taking its toll and I'm nearly forty. I have to grow up and just... be content with what I have."  
"But that means..."  
"If you and Charlie want to carry on without me, be my guest. Don't think, Ron, that I can't see that you need him at the minute. And I think he needs you too. So please don't think me leaving will mean you can't keep on with Charlie. Just protect yourself, and your heart. When he falls for someone, if and when that day ever comes, he's going to fall so hard he won't know what's fucking hit him. But you need to be ready for that, because it will be like you've never even existed to him in this way. Do you understand me?"

Ron understood all too well. In some ways the description was oddly familiar; Hermione had loved him until someone better had come along, and then he had been nothing to her and had been lucky for a second glance. She had cast him off so easily that the pain had been astounding, ripping through his body like a curse. He didn't know if he could stand to go through the same thing again, with his brother of all people.

"Just look after yourself," Bill advised, wrapping his arms around Ron's waist and kissing the top of his hair. Bill was the only brother tall enough that he could do that and Ron was grateful for their similarity. "Promise me that. And come back to bed, it's freezing out there..."

Ron agreed and closed the door. His tread was heavy as he followed Bill up to the bedroom where Charlie was draped over the bed.

"Hey, I know how to cheer you up? Want to fuck Charlie at the same time?" Bill suggested with a grin. "Bet you ten sickles we can both get in without him even waking up."  
"Done," Ron breathed, glad of the distraction, and reached for the lube drawer.

 _-fin-_  



End file.
